Combined seal and bag emptying device



April 19, 1955 H. T. LUNA ETAL COMBINED SEAL AND BAG EMPTYING D EVICEFiled July 22, 1953 HERBERT 7. LUNA 8 WILLIAM W. FOX,

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ATTORNEY- United States Patent COMBINED SEAL AND BAG ElVIPTYING DEVICEHerbert T. Luna and William W. Fox, Van Nuys, Califl,

assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, of onefourth to George A.Sherman, one-fourth to Herbert T. Luna, one-fourth to William W. Fox,all of Van Nuys, and one-fourth to Jack E. Guyer, North Hollywood,Calif.

Application July 22, 1953, Serial No. 369,636

11 Claims. (Cl. 214-302) This invention relates to hopper devices andmore particularly to a hopper device for use with a plaster nixingmachine for sealing the mixing chamber there- 0 Present day plastermixing machines comprise a tank forming a chamber in which theconstituents making up the plaster are thoroughly intermixed. Theintermixing usually is accomplished through a series of paddlelikemembers which are rotatably driven through the plaster mix held by thechamber formed by the tank. Such machines have been used over a longperiod of time and the constituents of the plaster are introduced intoan opening formed into an upper wall of the tank and discharged, afterthe mixing operation, through a discharge chute leading from the sameopening.

In actual use a workman fills the tank from the one side of the machineand discharges the finished plaster from the opposite side of themachine by rotating the tank to discharge the mixed plaster into thechute for reception in a receiving container. Heretofore this openinghas not been covered, for the constituents used to form the plaster havebeen sufliciently heavy to stay within the tank once they are placedtherein.

Under present day practices many light weight filler materials such asexpanded mica are being used and these light weight filler materials aredifiicult to intermix with the other constituents of the plaster. Theyare so light in weight that they tend to rise out of the mixer not onlyduring the filling operation, but also during the initial stages of themixing operation. The portion of these materials which escape from themixer not only increases the cleanup operations around the mixer, butalso are exceedingly irritating to the eyes, lungs, and skins of theplasterers working about the mixer.

The device of the present invention obviates the difficulties heretoforeexperienced with these light weight filler materials for although itpermits their use it prevents escape of these materials not only duringthe operation of introducing the materials into the mixer, but alsoduring the mixing operation as well.

The device of the present invention in its broadest aspects comprises acover element including a stationary section to be fixed to the tank anda pair of sections hingedly mounted to opposite sides of the stationarysection. The hingedly mounted sections, when the cover element ismounted to the tank of the mixer, are operative to cover the filling anddischarge portions of the opening. The cover element is of such a sizeas to completely seal the opening in the tank and although heaviermaterials can be introduced into the tank by moving the one hingedlymounted section to uncover a portion of the opening, the light weightmaterials are introduced through a hopper carried by the cover element.The hopper is formed with flared walls to facilitate reception of theone end portion of the bag containing the light weight filler materialand these walls coact with the bag to prevent escape of the light weightmaterial upwardly of the hopper as the material is discharged from thebag.

To permit discharge the light weight material from the bag in which itis furnished, the present invention provides a plurality of cutterelements spacedly mounted across the discharge opening of the hopperwhich, when operated, rupture the end portion of the bag received withinthe hopper to permit the contents thereof to discharge into the tank. Asthe bag acts to seal the hopper and as the cover element completelycloses the opening in the tank, the light weight material is preventedfrom escaping into ,the atmosphere during the mixing operation. Once thelight weight filler material is thoroughly intermixed with the water andother constituents of the plaster, it is held by the mix itself fromescaping into the atmosphere. The plaster, after the mixing operation,can be discharged from the tank by moving the hingedly mounted sectionof the cover element closing the discharge portion of the tank openingto its open position and rocking the tank to permit discharge of theplaster.

To facilitate the introduction of the light weight material from the baginto the tank, the hopper includes a support element carrying aplurality of sharpened elements on which the bag may be supported bythrusting the bag against the elements to cause the same to pierce thebag. The bag is thereafter partially supported by the sharpened elementsand as these elements actually puncture the bag wall they permit ingressof air into the bag as the contents thereof are discharged through thehopper into the tank.

Although the cover element includes means for attaching the same to thetank, it can be removed by disengaging the attaching means used topermit cleaning of the device if found necessary. The cover element iseasily attached to an existing plaster mixing machine and the mountingoperation does not require any extensive modification of the existingmachine.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will behereinafter apparent from the following description, particularly whentaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 isa perspective view showing the combined seal and hopper member mountedto the tank of a plaster mixing machine;

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bag rupturing means removed fromthe device; and

Figure 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1.

The hopper device of the present invention, referring now to the drawingand more particularly to Figure 1 thereof, comprises a cover element 10formed of three sections 11, 12, and 13, the adjacent marginal edges ofwhich are pivotally interconnected preferably by continuous hinges 14.The cover element 10 is to be mounted to a plaster mixing machine ofwhich only the mixing tank 15 has been illustrated in the drawing. Thismixing tank, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a somewhatcylindrical body portion having upwardly flared walls 16 and 17 forminga relatively large opening at the normal upper side of the tank. Thisopening is used to both fill the tank and to discharge the plaster fromthe tank. In practically all of the plaster mixing machines in use todaythe portion of the opening defined in part by the wall portion 16 isused to fill the tank with the constituents of the plaster, while theportion formed in part by the wall section 17 is the discharge means ofthe tank.

It will be seen, referring again to Figure 1, that the flared wall 17forms a chute leading from the tank and in the majority of mixers todaythis chute is of a width somewhat less than the width of the tank 15 topermit discharge of the mixed plaster into a hod or other container usedto carry the plaster to the construction zone where the plaster is to beapplied to the wall surface or for holding the plaster until used.

Where the tank is of the configuration just described, the section 11would be formed of a size and configuration sufficient to close thedischarge portion of the opening of the tank. The section 13 would also,of course, be of a size suificient to close the opposite portion of theopening and which, as described above, is used to normally introduce theconstituents of the plaster mix. In any event, the sections 11, 12, and13 are of such a size and configuration as to completely close the largeopening in the tank 15.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the coverelement is mounted to the tank 15 by securing the intermediate section12 to the tank in such a relative position thereon as to properlyposition sections 11 and 13 over the filling and discharge portions ofthe opening. The section 12 in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention is held to the tank by mounting threaded studs 18 to theopposite walls of the tank. These studs, referring now to Figure 4, maybe conveniently fixed to the walls of the tank by forming spacedapertures in the wall and securing a stud in each aperture by weld, asindicated at 19. The section 12 of the cover element is formed withdepending flanges 21 at the opposite ends thereof, which flanges areformed with slots 22 adapted to receive the studs 18.

Once the cover element is mounted to the tank with the studs 18 receivedwithin the slots 22, angle members 23, each having an opening throughone leg thereof, are mounted to the section 12 with a stud 18 passingthrough the opening in the one leg thereof and with the other legengaged over the upper face of the section 12. With the angle members inposition on the studs 18 as above described a fastening member such asthe wing nuts 24 shown, can be engaged with each stud to tightly clampthe one leg of the angle member 23 against the flange 21 of the section12. It will thus be seen that this assembly rigidly holds the cover 12to the tank and yet permits the cover to be demounted from the tank forcleaning purposes.

The sect-ion 12 is formed with a relatively large aperture 25 to thedefining edges of which are secured, by welding operation, the dischargethroat of a hopper 26. The hopper 26 presents a rectangular filleropening 27 and the walls thereof converge downwardly to form thedischarge throat at the opening 25 in the section 12. The opposite endwalls 28 and 29 of the hopper terminate at the discharge throat indeflected portions 31 and 32 arranged substantially parallel to eachother. The wall 33 also terminates in a similar deflected portionalthough the opposite wall 34 is not formed with such a terminalportion. The purpose of this construction will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

The hopper 26 is intended to receive the one end portion of a bag, suchas indicated at 35, holding the light weight filler material to be usedin the plaster. The bags used by various manufacturers or suppliers arenow standardized and the hopper is of such a size relative to this nowstandardized bag size as to sealingly engage with the end portion of thebag supported by the flaring sides of the hopper. When the bag 35 isplaced in the hopper in the position shown in Figure 1, the bag ispartially supported by an elongate rod 36 carrying a plurality of cutterelements 37. The rod 36 is rotatably supported by being passed throughaligned apertures formed in the wall portions 31 and 32 of the walls 28and 29, respectively. It will be remembered that these wall portions aresubstantially parallel to each other and thus permit rotational mountingof the rod 36 merely by the aligned openings formed therein.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the rotationalmounting of the rod is effected by forrning the rod with terminalportions circular in cross section with the one terminal portion 38 of alength longer than the opposite portion 39. To mount the rod in theapertures formed in the wall portions 31 and 32 of the hopper the longerterminal portion 38 is inserted through the aperture in the wall portion32 and the rod longitudinally moved to permit insertion of the shorterterminal portion 39 in the opening of the wall portion 31. After thecylindrical terminal portions are properly mounted in the alignedapertures, some means such as a cotter key is passed through atransverse bore formed in the terminal portion 39 to preventlongitudinal movement of the rod 36 in a direction to bring aboutdisengagement of the gelrminal portion 39 with the aperture of the wallportion To operate the bag rupturing means formed by the rod and thecutter elements 37, a handle 41 is fixedly mounted to the terminalportion 38 of the rod. The handle may be grasped by a user and arcuatelymoved to move the cutter elements 37 through the lower portion of thebag 35 to bring about discharge of the contents of the bag downwardlythrough the opening of the section 12 of the cover element.

In the form of the hopper illustrated, the rod 36 carrying the cutterelements is mounted to the hopper so that the cutter elements 37, whenthe handle 41 is swung to the position shown in Figure 1, will engageand be supported by the wall 33 of the hopper, as clearly shown inFigure 2. It will be seen in this position that gravity will act to holdthe cutters 37 against the wall 33 and the handle in the position shown.

Once the bag 35 is positioned in the hopper, the handle 41 may begrasped by the right hand of the user and moved to the right, as viewedin Figure 1, to arcuately move the cutters 37 from their positionengaging the wall 33 through the lower end of the bag 35 to bring aboutthe discharge of the contents thereof downwardly into the tank 15.

As above explained, the flared walls of the hopper together with the bagitself form a seal to prevent escape of the material of the bag upwardlyof the hopper and all of the contents of the bag will be emptied intothe tank 15. It should be understood that in this operation ofdischarging the contents of the bag the sections 11 and 13 will be intheir closed position, as illustrated in Figure 1. With the sections 11and 13 in this position, the material of the bag will be prevented fromescaping through the opening of the tank 15 and the paddle members ofthe tank can then be operated to bring about the thorough intermixing ofthe water and other materials forming the plaster mix.

Once the constituents have been thoroughly mixed, the section 11 can bepivotally moved to uncover the discharge chute formed in part by thetapering wall 17 of the tank and the finished plaster discharged throughthe chute by tilting the tank 15 about the axis of the bearing members42 which support the tank 15 to the frame of the machine. To permit thistilting of the tank the latter is formed in most machines today with ahandle 43 which is welded or otherwise secured to the tank.

To hold the sections 11 and 13 each in a position in which the portionsdischarge and filling of the tank opening is uncovered, friction latches44 are mounted to each of the sections 11 and 13 and these latches areadapted to engage over the upper edges of the wall members 33 and 34 ofthe hopper. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, each latchcomprises a spring-biased finger 45 pivotally mounted through a smallbracket 46 to the upper surface of each section. Each finger 45 isprovided with a notch 47 adapted to receive the upper edge of theparticular wall with which the finger engages.

To produce movement of the fingers 45 as they engage with theirrespective walls of the hopper, each finger is formed with a cam surface49 which, in conjunction with the engaged wall of the hopper, acts tourge the finger away from the wall against the action of the spring 48to permit the finger to move into a position in which the notch 47receives the upper edge of the wall. The spring 48 now, as should now beunderstood, will hold the finger down over the engaged wall and preventmovement of the section of the cover element.

To release either one the latch fingers from the engaged wall it is onlynecessary to swing the latch finger away from the wall against theaction of the spring a distance sufiicient to clear the walls of thenotch from the engaged wall, after which the cover can be pivotallymoved to its position overlying the portion of the opening of the tankwhich it is intended to cover.

To facilitate discharge of the contents of the bag 35, the device may beformed with a support element 51 comprising a frame removably secured tothe hopper 26 which supports, at the upper end thereof, a plate 53carrying a plurality of sharpened tines 54 adapted to pierce the bag 35when the latter is thrust against the tines. The tines 54 actuallyperform two functions in the use of the device, for once the tines havepierced the bag, they tend to hold the bag upright of the hopper 26 andalso form means for rupturing the bag to permit air to enter the bag asthe contents are discharged therefrom into the tank 15. This preventsthe formation of a partial vacuum within the bag which would act to holdthe contents against discharge once the cutter elements 37 had beenoperated to form the openings through which the contents are discharged.

The support 51, as should now be seen, also relieves the workman of thenecessity of holding the bag 35 upright in the hopper and once the baghas been thrust against the tines 54, the workman then is free toactuate the cutter elements 37 as above described. It is generallynecessary, after the bulk of the bag contents have emptied, to shake thebag slightly to be sure that all of the material held by the bag isemptied into the tank and the bag, as above explained, is allowed to remain in position within the hopper until after the completion of themixing operation.

It should be seen now that the device of the present invention providesa means for completely sealing the large opening of the mixing tank of aplaster making machine to obviate the disagreeable condition inherentwith the use of light weight filler materials. The device, when mountedto the tank, in no way complicates the use of the tank, for, as aboveexplained, the sections 11 and 13 may be moved into, and held in, aposition in which the opening of the tank is exposed to permit fillingof the tank with the heavier materials and for discharge of the mixedplaster from the tank.

Although the now preferred embodiments of the present invention havebeen shown and described herein, it is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limited thereto, for it is susceptible to changesin form and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge opening of themixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a cover elementincluding a median section and pair of sections hingedly mounted toopposite sides thereof; means for attaching said cover element to saidtank to close the opening therein, the hingedly mounted sections beingmovable to. open opposite portions of said opening for filling anddischarging the tank; a hopper mounted to said median section fordischarging material through an opening in said section, said hopperhaving flared sides adapted to receive the one end portion of a bagcontaining finely divided material; a plurality of cutters rotatablymounted within said hopper; and means, including manually operablemeans, for rotating said cutters through the end portion of the bagreceived by said hopper whereby the contents thereof are discharged intosaid tank, the flared walls of said hopper sealingly engaging said bagto prevent escape of material upwardly of said hopper and into theatmosphere.

2. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge opening of themixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a cover elementincluding a median section and a section hingedly mounted to each of theopposite sides thereof; means for attaching said element to said tank toclose the opening therein, the hingedly mounted sections being movableto open opposite portions of said opening for filling and dischargingthe tank;

a hopper mounted to said element for discharging material through anopening in said element, said hopper having flared sides adapted toreceive the one end portion of a bag containing finely divided material;a plurality of cutters rotatably mounted within said hopper; means forrotating said cutters through the end portion of the bag received bysaid hopper whereby the contents thereof are discharged into said tank,the flared walls of said hopper sealingly engaging said bag to preventescape of material upwardly of said hopper and into the atmosphere; andmeans carried by said hopper to extend thereover for supporting theupper end of said bag.

3. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge opening of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a panel sectionhaving an opening therein; means for attaching the opposite ends of saidpanel to opposing walls of said tank to extend across the openingtherein; a second panel section hingedly connected to one margin of saidfirst section; a third panel section hingedly connected to the oppositemargin of said first section; a hopper fixed to said first panel sectionfor receiving materials for discharge through the opening in said firstsection into said tank; a plurality of cutter elements mounted withinsaid hopper adjacent the discharge end thereof for puncturing the wallof a bag containing finely divided material when the lower end of saidbag is received within said hopper; and means carried by said hopper forsupporting the upper end of said bag in a substantially verticalposition relative to said hopper, the wall of said hopper beingoutwardly flared and coacting with the lower end of said bag to preventescape of material upwardly of said hopper.

4. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge opening of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a first panelsection; means for attaching said section to said tank to extend acrossa median portion of the opening therein; a second panel section hingedlyconnected to one margin of said first section and adapted to cover amarginal portion of said opening; a third panel section hingedlyconnected to the opposite margin of said first section and adapted tocover the other marginal portion of said opening, said second and thirdpanel sections being independently movable to uncover the said marginalportions of said opening; a hopper fixed to said first section, andhaving a discharge opening registering with an opening in said firstsection, for discharging materials into said tank; a

plurality of cutter elements mounted within said dis-' charge opening;and means for manually operating said cutter elements for puncturing thewall of a bag containing finely divided material having the one endthereof received within said hopper.

5. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge opening of themixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a cover elementincluding a mounting section and a section hingedly mounted to each ofthe opposite sides thereof; means forattaching said element to said tankto close the opening therein, the hingedly mounted sections beingmovable to open opposite marginal portions of said opening for fillingand discharging the tank; means carried by each of said hingedly mountedsections for holding each section in an open position; a hopper mountedto said element for discharging material through an opening in saidelement, said hopper having flared sides adapted to receive the one endportion of a bag containing finely divided material; means, includingmanually operated means, for rupturing the end portion of the bagreceived by said hopper whereby the contents thereof are discharged intosaid tank, the flared walls of said hopper sealingly engaging said bagto prevent escape of material upwardly of said hopper and into theatmosphere.

6. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge member of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a cover element tobe detachably mounted to said tank to extend across and close theopening therein; a hopper fixed to said cover element for receiving amaterial to be discharged therefrom through an opening of said elementinto said tank, said hopper having flared sides adapted to receive theone end of a bag containing the material to be introduced into themixing tank of said machine; cutter means mounted within said hopperadjacent the discharge end thereof for puncturing the wall of said bagwhereby the contents thereof are discharged downwardly through theopening in said cover element; a plurality of tines; and means formounting said tines above said hopper whereby a bag may be urged againstsaid tines to puncture the wall thereof to permit air to enter the bagas the contents thereof are discharged downwardly into the tank throughthe punctures formed by said cutter elements.

7. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge member of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a cover element tobe detachably mounted to said tank to extend across and close theopening therein; a hopper fixed to said cover element for receiving amaterial to be discharged therefrom through an opening of said elementinto said tank, said hopper having flared sides adapted to receive theone end of a bag containing the material to be introduced into themixing tank of said machine; cutter means mounted within said hopperadjacent the discharge end thereof for puncturing the wall of said bagwhereby the contents thereof are discharged downwardly through theopening in said cover element, the flared walls of said hopper sealinglyengaging said bag to prevent escape of material upwardly of said hopperand into the atmosphere as the material is emptied from the bag; saidcover element having sections at opposite sides thereof pivotallymovable to uncover opposite marginal portions of the open ing of thetank and forming filling and discharging means of the tank.

8. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge opening of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a cover elementincluding a first panel section, a second panel section hingedlyconnected to one margin of said first section, and a third panel sectionhingedly connected to the opposite margin of said first section; meansfor detachably mounting said first section to the tank thereby to mountsaid cover element to close the opening in said tank; a hopper fixed tosaid first section and having a discharge throat registering with anopening in said first panel section; suspension means supported by saidhopper for partially supporting a bag in a vertical position with thelower end portion thereof sealingly engaged with the inner surfaces ofthe walls of said hopper; a plurality of cutter elements mounted withinsaid hopper; means for manually operating said cutter elements forpuncturing the wall portion of said bag received within said hopper,whereby finely divided material held by said bag may be discharged intosaid tank; said suspension means including means for piercing the upperend of said bag for the ingress of air as the material held thereby isdischarged.

9. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge opening of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a cover element ofa size and shape sufficient to close said opening, said elementincluding a first panel section; a second panel section hingedlyconnected to one margin of said first section, and a third panel sectionhingedly connected to the opposite margin of said first section; meansfor detachably mounting said first section to the tank to extend over amedian portion of the opening, said opening being closed by said coverelement when the second and third sections thereof are engaged overopposite marginal portions of said opening; a hopper fixed to said firstsection and having an aperture registering with an opening in said firstpanel section; means carried by said hopper for partially supporting abag in a vertical position with the lower end thereof received withinsaid hopper; a plurality of cutter elements mounted within said hopper;and means for manually operating said cutter elements for puncturing thewall portion of said bag received within said hopper, whereby finelydivided material held by said bag may be discharged into said tank, saidmaterial being held against escape from the tank by said cover element,the walls of said hopper coacting with said bag to prevent escape of thematerial upwardly of said hopper.

10. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge member of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine comprising: a cover element tobe detachably mounted to said tank to extend across and close theopening therein; a hopper fixed to said cover element for receiving amaterial to be discharged therefrom through an opening of said elementinto said tank, said hopper having flared sides adapted to receive theone end of a bag containing the material mixing tank of said machine;cutter means mounted within said hopper adjacent the discharge endthereof for puncturing the wall of said bag whereby the contents thereofare discharged downwardly through the opening in said cover element, theflared walls of said hopper sealingly engaging said bag to preventescape of material upwardly of said hopper and into the atmosphere asthe material is emptied from the bag; said cover element havingpivotally connected sections at opposite sides thereof, the sectionsbeing pivotally movable to an elevated position to uncover marginalportions of said opening of the tank; and latch means carried by each ofsaid sections and engageable with the adjacent wall of said hopper forreleasably holding the sections in the elevated positions uncoveringsaid marginal portions of said opening.

11. A hopper member for closing the filler and discharge member of amixing tank of a plaster mixing machine, comprising: a tripartite coverelement to be detachably mounted to said tank to extend across and closethe opening therein; a hopper fixed to the median part of said coverelement for receiving materials and discharging the same through anopening of said median part into said tank, said hopper having flaredsides adapted to recelve the one end of a bag containing a material tobe introduced into the mixing tank of said machine; cutter means mountedwithin said hopper adjacent the discharge end thereof for puncturing thewall of said bag whereby the contents thereof are discharged downwardlythrough the opening in said cover element; a frame means carried by andextending upwardly of said hopper; a plurality of tines; and means formounting said tines to said frame means above said hopper whereby a bagmay be urged against said tines to puncture the wall thereof to permitair to enter the bag as the contents thereof are discharged downwardlyinto the tank through the punctures formed by said cutter elements, saidtines passed through said bag partially supporting said bag and holdingthe same upright relative to said hopper; at least one end part of saidcover element being pivotally movable to uncover a portion of said tankopening for discharging finished plaster therethrough.

to be introduced into the No references cited.

